Pages

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Review: Four Seasons of Patrick by:Susan Hughes

About the Book:
It's the start of winter, and Patrick is beginning to feel crowded out
of his own family. His father's friend, Linda, and her seven-year-old
daughter, Claire, are coming for dinner again. By the time spring
arrives, not only is Patrick's father planning to marry Linda, but she
and Claire will be coming to live with them at the summer's end. That
just won’t do. So Patrick comes up with a big idea. He'll build a tree
house where he can stretch out his arms and breathe. But wait. Will his
father allow it? Where will he find the perfect tree? Who will give him a
hand with the construction? And, most importantly, will his own tree
house really be the hideaway he hopes for, especially from the
irritating Claire?

As the autumn season arrives, Patrick
discovers some surprising answers to these questions – and learns a
little about the meaning of family.

About the Author:
Susan Hughes has written over 25 children's books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her books include Off to Class, Case Closed?, Earth to Audrey, Virginia, The Island Horse, and the Wild Paws series. Susan is also an editor and manuscript evaluator. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

My Review:
Patrick is a little boy still grieving the loss of his mother. He was finally getting use to the idea of it just being a family of three, him, his dad, and his brother Trevor. But soon he finds out something that more than upsets his existence, his dad is going to remarry. Poor Patrick starts to get a plan together as to avoid this whole notion of Linda and Claire "moving in on his family".

So Patrick and his best friend Harry decide to put Patrick's plan in action and build a tree house. This will be an escape for Patrick when his family is transformed so that he can get some alone time. Soon Patrick realizes that Claire is just as much a victim of circumstance as he is and his way of thinking starts to change.

This book is such a sweet little book about a little boy just trying to see where he fits into it all. The author has done a magnificent job creating a strong plot line and very valid characters.

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me for free for my honest review from the author.